1. Field of the Invention
The system and method of the present invention is directed to the field of computer graphics. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for rendering images in a multi-frame buffer system.
2. Art Background
A typical method for creating animated computer graphics renderings is to alternate the rendering of frames of the animation between two separate memory buffers. While one memory buffer is updated with new graphics data for a new frame in the animation, the previously rendered frame is sent to a display device by a display controller using data stored in the second memory buffer. As new frames are created, the buffer used for rendering and the buffer used to update the display are swapped. This process is commonly referred to as double buffering.
Care must be exercised when swapping buffers or "tearing" of the display can occur. Tearing occurs in one of two situations: either the source for the display controller data is swapped in mid-frame, or data is updated in the frame being displayed, causing the display to show part of one frame and part of the other.
One solution to this problem is to allow the display controller to switch buffers only after completing the display of the buffer. However, processor cycles are wasted if the processor controlling the rendering process must wait for the display controller to complete displaying a single frame.